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December 11, 2009
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Message from the Head of School
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Jonathan E. Martin
Head of School
jmartin@stgregoryschool.org
www.stgregoryschool.org
www.21k12blog.net
Twitter:@JonathanEMartin
520-327-6395
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In the middle of June last summer I arrived here at St. Gregory, and then spent the next two months working on campus preparing for the coming school year. But as nice as it was getting to know some of the administrative staff, it was also a bit sad to experience such a quiet campus, with so little activity. This is a place-- theatre, science labs, computers, ropes courses, art and dance studios-- that begs to be used, that ought to be busy the full year round with students learning and growing.
So it is with great enthusiasm I report our plans are coming together for the establishment of a strong and broad summer program here for June and July. St. Gregory itself will offer a six-week (three two-week sessions) program for students rising to grades five through eight called "Minds Alive: St. Gregory's Leadership and Innovation Summer Camp 2010"; in each session we will offer three to five course options in both morning and afternoon, many of them taught by our own fabulous school-year teachers such as Jeff Clashman, Scott Morris, Lisa Bodden, and others. There will also be some limited opportunities for St. Gregory upper school students to serve as "junior counselors" assisting the teachers in the programs. The Minds Alive program is not "summer school:" this is a program of academic enrichment, rather than remediation, wherein all participants will be actively engaged in fun and challenging experiences which will most certainly expand their minds and strengthen their innovation and leadership abilities, but without textbooks, homework, or tests. We are also expecting (still awaiting final confirmation) the return to our campus of the Summer Fine Arts program, a program for elementary age students (details forthcoming).
More information about Minds Alive is below, and we will have available by late January a full program guide and registration form.
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Message from the Middle School Head
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Middle School Students Raise $1476 for Refugee Family
The love of a parent for his or her child cannot be equaled by anyone else. I do have to say, however, that I love these sweet, goofy, amazing, wonderful middle school kiddos more than you know. What keeps me coming back professionally year after year in the middle school is seeing the many ways in which this age group is willing to restore, redress, reform, rebuild, recover, reimagine, and reconsider the world they are inheriting. Time in the Middle School is magical time. Two weeks ago we adopted a Burundi refugee family (by the way, that’s in central Africa if you were wondering) and set about with plans to raise money to help purchase furniture and shoes for the family. This is the family whose mother was tragically killed in a roll-over accident on I-10 this past summer. Our students came up with a dozen different ways to raise funds and I am proud to announce to you that we collected $1476. Is that not a grand example of Middle School students at their very best? Their focused attention on helping to restore this family and in the process help them to reimagine themselves having a positive future in a new land where they are cared for is a potent lesson for us all, especially during this holiday season. Thank you parents for your support and encouragement of your youngster’s effort to make this project such a success!
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Message from the Director of College Counseling
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Kate Schmidt
Directory of College Counseling
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Seniors and parents:
Please mark your calendars for the College Financial Aid Night on January 13th at 6:30 p.m. Bibiana Rivera from the Financial Aid Office at Arizona State University will provide information on the financial aid application process and timeline, how to estimate college expenses, how to maximize your potential for scholarship money, how to avoid loan and scholarship scams, and how to compare financial aid offers. Please RSVP by January 12th by emailing kschmidt@stgregoryschool.orgJuniors and Parents: You are invited to the College Planning Night on Wednesday, January 6th at 6:30 p.m. in the theatre. The evening will feature a St. Gregory alumni panel discussing what college is really like, a presentation on Naviance’s Family Connection, and the distribution of PSAT scores. Please RSVP by January 5th by emailing kschmidt@stgregoryschool.orgHappy Holidays!
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The Summer Program will run for three two-week sessions.
- Session 1: Monday, June 7 - Friday, June 18
- Session 2: Monday, June 21 - Friday, July 2
- Session 3: Monday, July 5 - Friday, July 16
Sign up to be notified when our two week Summer Camp becomes available.
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Independent Studies First Semester
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Several seniors completing independent studies first semester wrapped up their coursework with presentations/performances in recent weeks.
Jason Huo and Amanda Liu worked with Dr. Morris on an introduction to Organic Chemistry. They gave a presentation to the AP Chemistry class in late November.
Four students who completed AP Music Theory in 2008-2009 worked with Dr. Shawn to continue studying advanced music composition. This week the upper school was privileged to hear performances of final projects by Jacob Lifton, who played three movements on piano, Juliet and Andrea Wilhelmi, who both wrote songs to accompany their guitar pieces (and also accompanied each other in their performances), and Zach Mulder, who wowed his peers with his marimba composition.
Sarah Tillery wrote one-act plays in a variety of genres, with Ms. Bodden as her advisor. Sarah directed three fellow students, Isabella Catalano, Stewart Bass, and Andrea Wilhelmi, in the absurdist play “The Duel”, which they performed at the Winter Fine Arts Festival on Wednesday, December 9 and again on Friday, December 11.
Hats off to these students for pursuing their interests in such a thoughtful - and entertaining – way!
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Painting Party at the International School of Tucson
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On Sunday, December 6, quite a few Gregorians came to the painting party at the International School of Tucson. The freshmen and 8th grader Caroline Nore finished the "railroad tunnel" project, while the seniors began a "world" mural on a pre-school wall. As always, there was time to play on the playground, too! Phase two of the "world" mural will happen soon.
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Pigs Fatten Up; Wolf Spotted in Neighborhood
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As part of their final exam, the AP French class performed a version of "The Three Little Pigs" for the French section of second graders at the International School of Tucson. It seems this time the pigs constructed their houses out of "chocolat, chamallows et graham crackers" -- with the result being smores. Too much for the wiley wolf (Zach Mulder), who fell into a deep slumber. The three pigs (Daphné Mattille, Caroline Nore, and Shannon Kaye) celebrated, and chocolate was had by all. The IST second graders were delighted and will talk about the smores for days to come.
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High School Art Classes Support Our Troops for the Holidays
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Artwork by Steffi McNerney The upper school art classes will be making holiday cards for our troops to help boost morale and let them know we are thinking about them. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has sent out a call to teachers in Tucson to help cheer up and thank our servicemen and women during the holidays, when they will be far from their families. Some cards will go to the Veterans' Hospital, also. If you would like to contribute a card and/or message, please drop them off in the upper school office or send an email message that Ms. Derickson can print them out. Send to jderickson@stgregoryschool.org
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Musical Auditions in January
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Musical auditions in January! Over the break, why not get ready for Urinetown by listening to the music on-line and preparing something from the show to sing. Wednesdays, after the break, the after-school Dance Club will start working on the dances for the show as well. What better way to get ready for a musical than to start working on your singing and dancing? Don't forget to check out the blog and provide your own input -
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Burundi Refugee Family Story As Told From A Middle School Point Of View
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We are the St. Gregory Middle School and we care. We care about each other, our school, Tucson, our country, and the planet. We observe, make connections, experience transformation, and become people who help. Our most recent community response demonstrates our commitment to caring for others. When a school has a heartbeat, it is visible in the way we treat others. When we learned about a refugee family from Burundi that needed a sofa, shoes, and food, we got busy. The mother, Bernadette, was killed in the van accident we read about in our papers this summer. The father, severely injured in the accident, was in intensive care for months. He broke every rib but one and his clavicle, punctured both lungs, and fractured his skull. His seventeen-year-old son, Joseph, never left his father's side. When the father finally walked out of the hospital, it was a miracle. Jill Rich, a heroine we know well as a miracle-worker for refugees, adopted this family as her "one last project." The family also has seven- and nine-year-old boys and a fourteen-year-old daughter. We were determined to help this family ourselves rather than asking our parents for donations. We sold popcorn, oatmeal, hot chocolate, bundles of wood, fruit, and brownies; many of us babysat, walked the dog, dusted bookshelves, and did extra chores. One of us dressed up as Santa; many of our classmates contributed allowance or birthday savings. We raised a beautiful $1476.36. We are going to let the family pick out a comfortable sofa and give Payless, Target, and Safeway gift cards. We feel like we have made a difference in our small world! The middle school sends out good vibrations of PEACE, JOY, and LOVE!
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People of Color/Student Diversity Leadership Conference
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Once again, St.Gregory was very fortunate to be able to participate in the People of Color Conference/Student Diversity Leadership Conference this year in Denver, Colorado.
This conference is sponsored by National Association of Independent Schools. According to NAIS, the purpose of the conference is for: " all students to expand their sense of belonging in independent schools, and for all people committed to diversity work to learn how to advance, build, and sustain inclusive school communities..." Here are some of our students' remarks:
- "SDLC is basically a collection of the most amazing, influential kids in the U.S. It's always a life-changing experience." -Kinsey Litton
- "SDLC was an emotional journey that enabled me to gain a long-lasting family." -Jacob Valdez
- "SDLC was a life changing experience that has influenced my outlook on life and made it possible for me to be more satisfied with it." -Louie Sanders
- "Meeting new people and learning their life stories changed the way I view our generation and changed the way I want to live my life." -Shannon Kaye
- "Since I was a second year student attending SDLC, I most enjoyed gaining a deeper knowledge of what I learned my first year. It was a life-changing experience where I made life-long friends." -Abriana Romero
- "I finally got to meet people who understand the racial discrimination I experience because we are alike. I enjoyed finally meeting people who were like me." -Jasim El-Ali
- "Going to SDLC was one of the greatest experiences I have ever been a part of. I learned a lot about myself and hope I can go again." -Adam Gonzalez
I would like to thank the St. Gregory community for the support and sponsorship that allowed this trip to be possible for these nine students. We are excited to take what we have learned and infuse and enrich our St. Gregory community. With special thanks, Joanne Vigilant
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It's Not Too Late To Make Your Arizona State Tax Credit Donation!
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Middle school softball will have games at home Monday 12/14 against Tucson Country Day and Tuesday 12/15 against Academy of Tucson. School is dismissed at 2:00 those days. Softball players may be picked up and return by 3:30 for the 4:00 games. Softball will be off for the remainder of the week and the break.
The A soccer team will practice Monday and Tuesday after school until 3:00. They will take the rest of the time off for winter break. The B soccer team will practice Monday after school until 3:30. Tuesday 12/15 they will travel after school to Casas Christian to play a 3:30 game. They, too, will take the remainder of the week and holiday break off.
Upper school girls' soccer will host Scottsdale Christian Monday 12/14 at 4:00 and will not return to action until after the break.
The upper school boys' basketball team will play in the Northwest Classic at Mountain View High School December 28 through 31. The tourney will feature 4A and 5A teams from the area and give our undefeated boys a much-needed challenge.
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This week in A soccer has been exciting. We lost a crazy game 4-6. I do love it when we score goals. Arturo Chavez and Connor McGinnis love doing a little dance after the onion goes in the sack. They and Jack Hundley did the goals Tuesday, and Arturo and Connor scored in a close 2-1 win over Casas. Connor has scored in every game still. The win on Tuesday was the best team effort we have put on the field. Hunter Green had an infinite number of saves to keep us ahead. The midfield unit of Annie Kruger, Haper Karnas, Cito Rilo battled many minutes to help us. Reed Reinthal and Barrett Faulbaum with captain Jake Rogers were a strong back line. They get better every game.
I am loving the beautiful soccer the A team is creating. I'm ready for game beauty in the new year.The B soccer team ran its record to 5-0 with a 7-1 win over Desert Christian. Charlie Clark, Raymond Roesler, Carlos Franco, and Jake Roberts found the net in the win. The team continues to improve building on the undefeated season they accomplished a year ago. Raymond has proven that not only can he score goals but he also distributes passes to his teammates that provide them the opportunity to score. This example of unselfish play is shared by the team and will only make them better.
Jeff Clashman
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2010-2011 Major Events and Holiday Calendar
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August 9 -10 Sixth grade orientation
August 11 All-school orientation
August 12 First full day of classes
September 6 Labor Day holiday; no classes
September 9 Rosh Hashanah holiday; no classes
October 15 Faculty grading day;no classes
November 11 Veteran’s Day; no classes
November 24-26 Thanksgiving break
December 17 Faculty grading day;no classes
Dec. 17 – Jan. 2 Winter break for students
January 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday; no classes
February 24-25 Rodeo Break
March 11 Faculty work day; no classes
April 2 -10 Spring Break
April 22 Good Friday holiday; no classes
May 21 Commencement, 7:30 p.m.
May 27 MS Move-Up Ceremony |
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Upcoming Events
- 12/14-17/2009 - Semester exams grades 7-12
- 12/18/2009-1/3/2010 - Winter Break for students
- 1/30/2010 - 8th Grade Potluck
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St. Gregory College Preparatory School
3231 N. Craycroft Road, Tucson, Arizona 85712 - (520) 327-6395 - Fax (520) 327-8276
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